Neural networks and electromagnetics are two different scientific fields. The purpose of this book is to bridge these two fields and make it easier for electromagnetics experts to understand how to use neural networks in their applications. It is intended for students, engineers and researchers in electromagnetics with minimal background in neural networks. To achieve this goal, several neural architectures are introduced and examples of how they have been used to solve a variety of electromagnetic problems are given. These solutions are then compared to some of the classical solutions to demonstrate the merits of using neural networks.

The book contains 10 chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction to neural networks. The reader is introduced to the basic building blocks of a neural network and its functions. Based on information in this chapter, he or she will realize how the inherent nature of neural networks to act as distributed or massively parallel computers can be employed to speed up complex optimization problems in electromagnetics. Chapters 2 through 5 introduce some of the main neural architectures used today in electromagnetics and other applications. They examine the basics of these architectures, their respective strength and limitations, and the algorithms that allow these architectures to be trained to perform their required tasks. Chapters 6 through 10 discuss applications in electromagnetics that are solved by using neural networks. Chapter 6 emphasizes antennas, Chapter 7 deals with applications in remote sensing and target identification. In Chapter 8, the high speed capability of neural networks is used to solve problems where real-time performance is required. Chapter 9 deals primarily with the modeling of microwave devices and circuits.

Finally, in Chapter 10, it is demonstrated how neural networks can be used in conjunction with other standard methods used in electromagnetics, such as the finite element method, the finite difference method and the method of moments. Extensive references follow each chapter.

This book covers practically all aspects of radio communications including wave propagation, antennas, transmitters, receivers, design principles, telecommunication regulations and information theory. It is suitable for readers with an engineering education or a scientific background working as designers, engineering managers or technical marketing people. They should be familiar with electrical circuits and engineering mathematics. Armed with the knowledge acquired from this book, the reader can more easily learn the details of specialized radio communications systems (PCS) and wireless local area networks (WLAN).

Chapter 1 is an introduction, presenting the focus of the book and the types of short-range radio applications that are covered. Chapter 2 discusses radio propagation and factors that affect communication range and reliability. Chapter 3 reviews the antennas used in short-range radio as well as transmission lines and circuit matching techniques. Chapter 4 covers the various signals used for information transmission and modulation, and overall wireless system properties. Chapters 5 and 6 describe the various kinds of transmitters and receivers. Chapter 7 details the performance characteristics of radio systems. Chapter 8 presents various component types that can be used to implement a short-range radio system. Chapter 9 covers regulations and standards and gives an overview of the conditions for getting approval of short-range radio systems in North America and Europe. Chapter 10 is an introduction to probability and communication theory. It is aimed at readers without an appropriate background or who need to brush-up on probability. Chapter 11 reviews some of the most important new developments in short-range radio.

An introductory section describes the 12 Mathcad worksheets, included on the CD-ROM accompanying the book, which are helpful for wireless design engineers in their daily work. Several references and Web sites pertaining to short-range radio systems can be found at the end of the book.